Himanta Biswa Sarma demands removal of ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ from Constitution's Preamble

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has stirred political debate once again by urging the Government of India to remove the words "Secular" and "Socialist" from the Preamble of the Constitution, claiming they were legacies of the Emergency era and not part of India’s original constitutional framework.

Speaking at the launch of the book "The Emergency Diary", which chronicles the resistance movement during the 1975 Emergency—particularly the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi—Sarma called for a full ideological break from what he described as remnants of the Indira Gandhi era.

“As we launch The Emergency Diary, which focuses on the struggle led by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi during that period, this is the right moment to wipe out all the legacies of the Emergency,” Sarma said.

He particularly pointed to the insertion of "Secular" and "Socialist" in the Preamble during the Emergency through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment, terming it an imposition not aligned with India’s civilizational ethos.

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“The word 'secular' contradicts the Indian concept of 'Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava', which reflects equal respect for all religions,” he said.

“And 'socialism' was never our economic concept. India always stood for 'Sarvodaya' and 'Antyodaya'—upliftment of all, especially the last person in the queue.”

Sarma emphasized that just as Prime Minister Modi is working to remove remnants of colonial rule, there is also a need to remove ideological impositions made during the Emergency.

“These two words—'Socialism' and 'Secularism'—were not part of the original Constitution. They were inserted during the Emergency by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. I request the Government of India to remove them from the Preamble,” he said.

The statement is likely to trigger political and constitutional debate, especially with the BJP seeking to redefine key symbols and narratives of post-Independence India.